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End Forced Destitution

The asylum system often leaves children and families vulnerable and forced to survive far below the poverty line.

What was the End Forced Destitution campaign?

Our End Forced Destitution campaign exposed how the asylum system often lets down young people and their families, leaving them vulnerable and forced to survive far below the poverty line. Our campaign demanded change to the asylum-support system, so that no child, no matter where they are from, ever has to suffer inhumanely.

What we called for

Part of the current asylum-support system leaves asylum seekers with no cash at all - they get a tiny amount of money on a special card, which doesn’t allow them to do fundamental things like ride a bus to hospital, or save for a coat to keep their child warm in the winter. We demanded this system must end.

We also called for support rates to be brought into line with basic benefit levels, to prevent families – who do not have the right to work – from having to live way below the poverty line.

We demanded that the Home Office live up to its legal duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of all children, so that no child, no matter where they are from, ever has to suffer like this.

Campaign accomplishments

Our campaign played an important role in Refugee Action’s legal challenge to the Home Office to get them to increase the low levels of financial support for asylum seeking families.

We recently campaigned on this issue. With support from our campaigners, 75% of MPs were contacted on this issue in June 2014.